Rotary spark-gap.



No. 775,872. Y PATBNTED. Nov. 22, 1904. l

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v ROTARY SPARK GAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2a. 1904.

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`Jatented November 22, 1904.

FREDERICK F. STRONG, OF BOSTON; MASSACHUSETTS.

HTMIHY SPAHKMGAF..

SPECIFJICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,872, dated November 22, 1904. Application iiled May 23, 1904. Serial No. 209,300. (No modelo To (all whom, it lit/ty colte/:Mt:

Be it known that fl, FREDERICK F. S'rnoNe, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Rotary Spark-Craps, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, a specih'cation, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to rotary spark-gaps, the object thereof being' to improve the etliciency and durability of the apparatus by preventing the destructive heat effects so common heretofore, removing the interference of the heat with the oscillations, and rendering the oscillations sharp and uniform.

A prolific source of trouble in this class of apparatus has been the intense heat produced. between the electrodes, thereby interfering with the electric oscillations, destroying' the electrodes, and rendering the apparatus un certain and unreliable, and accordingly l. have devised the means hereinafter more fully described for obviating these difficulties, consisting of providing a low-resistance arc to operate in connection with said electrodes for dray fingl away and dissipating the heat or amperage from the latter.

`Other novel and advantageous features will also appear in the course of the following' description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a View infront elevation of my improved spark-gap. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Mounted on a suitable base a is a wheel or disk a' of conductivematerial, such as copper or aluminium, journaled in a support and rotated by any suitable means, as a pulley a3. This rotary disk is cutout radially at aAt to leave a series of dischargeterminals e, cooperating with a knob-electrode a on the end of a spring al, mounted on a post as and adjustable toward and from the disk electrode c/ by a` screw a". Besides the radial terminals a5 the disk a' is provided with an axial terminal am, coperatingI with an electrode am, (shown as cupshaped for the best results,) mounted in a post am, to

which one wire, am, of the circuit is connected, the other wire, am, being connected to the post as. It will thus be seen that l provide a double discharge or two gaps in series, a disruptive discharge between the periphery of the disk c and the knob a, and a low-resistance arc or continuous discharge between the electrodes am d'2.

It w ill be understood that, excepting as specified in certain of the claims, .l do not limit myself to the Vparticular location of the two discharge-gaps nor to the construction of the various parts, as described, although the particular embodiment of my invention which l have above set forth in detail has various advantages presently mentioned.

Having adjusted the terminal a to produce the desired disruptive discharge for which the instrument is intended, 1 adjust the terminal-a'2 close enough tothe knob or other shaped terminal am to cause a continuous arc, the result being that the surrounding heat is drawn in toward the center of the disk and the surplus heat is dissipated. The vortex of air caused by the rotating disk forms a conductor across the gap am to al, which is rendered still better by the heat, and the continuous arc removes the surplus ampere-ge from the other or disruptive-discharge gap, thereby keeping the electrodes af' a cool. Moreover, removing the heat froln the electrodes a5 a removes the disturbance thereof with the disruptive discharge which has heretofore caused great uncertainty and irregularity of action, andthe oscillations or interruptions are still further sharpened and improved by the square-cut shape of the radial terminals a. By having the discharge radial the distance between thel periphery and the adjacent electrode cannot vary in operation, but is uniform, irrespective of any end thrust or longittulinal movement of the shaft, there is a centrifugal draft, due to the radial cuts, which blows out the spark, and the discharge occurs at the regionof4 maximum velocity.

Having described my invention and without limiting myself to all the details described or .undertaking to set forth all the variations and uses of which my invention is capable, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isM

1. A device of the kind described, comprising a iixed disruptive-discharge electrode, a rotary electrode cooperating therewith, and arc-producing means in series therewith located adjacent said electrodes.

2. A rotary electrode and two stationary electrodes in series therewith, and adjusted respectively for producing therewith a disruptive discharge,and a continuous-arc discharge.

3. A high-frequency interrupter, comprising means for producing a rapid disruptive 1 discharge, and continuous arc producing means in series therewith.

4. A device of the kind described, comprising a rotary electrode, a cooperating peripheral disruptive-discharge electrode, and an axial continuous-arc electrode.

5. A device of the kind described, comprising separated electrodes, and a disk in series therewith having peripheral terminals to cooperate with one electrode, and an axial terminal to cooperate with the other electrode.

6. A device of the kind described, comprising a disk having a series of peripheral terminals and an axial terminal, a dischargeelectrode for the former, and a cup-shaped electrode adjusted close to the axial terminal.

7. ln a device of the kind described, arotary-disk electrode, and a cooperating electrode, said disk having a series of radially-extending rectangular terminals for giving' sharp oscillations.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK F. STRONG.

Vitnesses:

T. M. STRONG, GRO. H. MAXWELL, 

